The Roberto Clemente Award in the MLB is the award that is given out annually in recognizing the individual player who has best exemplified sportsmanship in baseball and has contributed greatly to their community. Each of the 30 teams has a nominated player for the prestigious award, and this year's representative for the Phillies is Ryan Howard.

Howard has shown true sportsmanship on and off the field during his tenure with the Phillies, but has also made strides in helping out the City of Philadelphia and showing selfless actions in the surrounding communities.

This season marks the second year in a row in which Howard was nominated for the award for the Phillies, and would become the first Phillie to win the honor since Jimmy Rollins in 2014.

Howard, 36, is entering his final month in a Phillies uniform, and an honor of this magnitude would be quite the send-off for his incredible tenure in the city, both as a Phillie and a key contributor in Philadelphia and it's surround communities.

April 17, 2016

Radio voice of the Phillies Scott Franzke chats with Phillies manager Pete Mackanin prior to the Futures Game in Reading (Philliedelphia/Frank Klose)

In this week's edition of Phillies must-reads, we get into the very personal side of players, executives, and broadcasters and show the even in baseball, real life comes into play and how we deal with them will shape the rest of their lives and the game itself.

No one will ever replace Harry Kalas and Whitey Asburn as Philadelphia's favorite broadcast tandem. But if in this age of MLB.TV and all of the digital avenues baseball purists take to get their games, a new generation of fans have their own poet laureates to call their own in Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson. Matt Gelb of Philly.com caught with the popular duo.

The selflessness of Matt Szczur goes well beyond charitable. All together now..."who?". Chicago Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur, who squeaked into the 25th and final roster spot on a loaded contending team this spring, could have been living this impossible dream five years ago, but he gave it all up for someone he didn't even know. Adam Nissen of sportsmockery.com chronicles this incredible journey.

Phillies president Andy MacPhail was a life-long baseball man. It was passed from his father to him and his grandfather to his father. But after nearly three decades in the family business, MacPhail stepped as far away from the game as he could. He traveled to the far ends of the earth only to return to greener pastures in Philadelphia doing what his family has done for generations. Matt Gelb has the story.

August 27, 2015

Although second baseman Chase Utley was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, it's clear that the love affair between Utley and the Phillies fans will live on for a long time. On Wednesday afternoon, he appeared on WIP's Mike and Ike show to talk about his admiration for the hard-nosed fans that had his back throughout his time in Philadelphia.

Utley was quick to defend the fans, who are often portrayed as some of the worst in sports by national media.

“The fans, I think, bring the most out of players,” he said. "I think sometimes, they can crush some guys, guys that aren't mentally tough, but for the most part, guys that want to win, want to be out there, the fans are right there in your back pocket hoping you continue to succeed."

On Monday, Utley took out a full page ad in the Daily News to thank everyone from David Montgomery, his teammates over the years and the fans for contributing to his time in Philadelphia.

Since joining the Dodgers last Wednesday, Utley has hit 2-for-17 with two doubles and three strikeouts. He has played second base for them over the past week, but it was announced that he could see some time at third base once second baseman Howie Kendrick returns from the disabled list.

During the radio interview, Utley pointed out the role that the fans played in some of his favorite moments as a Phillie, specifically the way the fans went “completely nuts” after the comeback to win the NL East division in 2007 and how special it was to see “how much support was out there” during the World Series parade in 2008.

“The fans in Philly have treated me so well over the years. Ever since after my first at-bat when I struck out, when they booed me back to the dugout — ever since then they've been amazing to me,” Utley said. "Listen, I mean, I feel like I play the game the right way. I play hard all the time. I think the fans appreciate that. They appreciate the effort."

Utley was a fan favorite during his Phillies tenure for his intense style of play and ability to come up with a hit in the clutch. Of course, his memorable World Series parade speech in 2008 was one of the rare moments where Utley has relied on words to make an impression.He also touched upon his reserved nature in the interview.

"As far as being a vocal guy, you pick your spots. Obviously, when you say something you want it to be heard, but I feel like if you're always saying something, guys might not listen much."

August 21, 2015

Usually when a list based on the national spectrum of sports is produced, the only way Philadelphia falls near the top is if it is regarding rowdy fans or incidents in history that the rest of the national won’t seem to forget.

There is one recent list that brings a positive compliment Philly’s way.

ESPN ranked the top sports uniforms by city in a segment for Uni Watch. Philadelphia ranked fourth, behind only Boston, Pittsburgh and Chicago.

As we've learned in the past, "ongoing" does not necessarily mean "imminent" when is comes to these sorts of discussions. However, a successful deal between the two teams could bring light to an otherwise dull season of baseball in Philadelphia. Some of the most exciting headlines have come from the young players this season, with Maikel Franco off to a fantastic start, Aaron Nola quickly making his way up through the minor leagues, and Adam Morgan successfully defeating the league's best team this past Sunday. Should the Phillies bring in some of the Rangers' minor league talent (take a look at their top ten prospects according to Baseball Prospectus, particularly catcher Jorge Alfaro), the future could become that much more enticing.

At this point, Cole Hamels holds a record of 5-5, with a 2.96 ERA (3.55 FIP), 9.83 K/9, and a 1.7 WAR.

The Texas Rangers sit three games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West with a record of 37-33. The team has been without their ace, Yu Darvish, for the entire season after Darvish opted for Tommy John Surgery in March.

Morosi went on to say that the Rangers expect Martin Perez, Matt Harrison, and Derek Holland to all return to the rotation at some point this season. However, he does note that the team believes Hamels is worth the investment, even with their returns.

April 08, 2015

As everybody knows, before Jonathan Papelbon signed his four-year contract with the Phillies before the 2012 season, the All-Star closer spent his entire career beforehand with the Boston Red Sox. In seven seasons in a Red Sox uni, Papelbon collected over 200 saves and was a key element of the 2007 World Champion team.

Entering his last season in his contract with the Phillies, Papelbon has collected over 100 saves and has not made the playoffs with his new club. Along with being a controversial player on the mound, Papelbon has taken heat for being a controversial interviewee with the media.

The Phillies opened the 2015 season on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. Opening Day is regarded as an unofficial national holiday that baseball fans rejoice once it arrives. For the media, it's a frenzy and with everybody talking into the mic, Jonathan Papelbon spoke with reporters - including Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe.

Papelbon was asked questions regarding this season-opening series with the Red Sox and he had quite a lot to say.

“The Red Sox are a part of who I am, man,” Papelbon said. “I don’t really feel much like a Phillie.

“Boston’s where I was born and raised. It’s kind of like that, you know. It’s the city you were born and raised in.”

Now from a personal standpoint, it's easy to understand where he's coming from, but from a fan's standpoint - especially a Philadelphia Phillies fan's standpoint, you just don't say those kinds of things.

Papelbon has been here for three full seasons, and has given us a lot of great moments to remember - and also a lot that we'd like to forget. In three seasons with the Phillies, Papelbon has continued what he did in Boston on the hill. He's shut down the batting order in the top half and bottom half of the innings he's pitched and he's also blown plenty amount of saves. With Papelbon's years of MLB service to the MLB hitting 10 seasons in 2015, he went on to say that he hasn't even begun to get settled here.

“It’s been a tough transition over here,” Papelbon said. “I’m not going to lie. It’s been tough. Tough getting used to the way it is here. It’s two totally different organizations.

“The way they’re ran, the way they’re coached, the players that are on them. Two totally different styles of baseball. I don’t know if I can honestly tell you if I’m even used to it yet.”

Okay, so maybe the Phillies have gone under a very rough transition period over the past five seasons. Going from a World Series caliber team to a bottom-feeding team of bashed up veterans and inexperienced minor leaguers in big league uniforms isn't necessarily a good stage for any player - especially one who signed on for a long amount of time to win championships.

Papelbon has moved from a young player to more of a mentor and veteran leader of this Phillies bullpen. Over the years, he has been noted to teach and mentor a lot of the bullpen members including Jake Diekman, Justin De Fratus and Ken Giles.

“I feel like with this bullpen here, it’s just been some young guys that have looked up to either me or other older veterans in our bullpen throughout the last three years,” Papelbon said. “The great thing about our bullpen here is it’s easy because you have such great talent to work with. We have a really talented bullpen, but time will tell.”

It is true that time will tell. Will Jonathan Papelbon finish out the 2015 season in a Phillies uniform? Will he be traded to a contender come July if the Phillies, who are expected to win less than 70 games this season, come to the conclusion that he can draw some young talent via trade? Will his comments like these reported in this story have a strong pull on the Phillies' fanbase and reach back up to the front office?

Only time will tell.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Erik SeyboldPHI.

March 12, 2015

Last season, the Phillies and Comcast SportsNet introduced "Sundays with Schmidt," with Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt sitting in on home game telecasts as a broadcaster.

Schmidt is expanding the role in 2015, as he will now be part of the broadcast team for Saturday and Sunday home games.

In having a broadcasting role, it allowed Schmidt to be in Philadelphia more often for momentous occasions around the ballpark. Schmidt is a regular attendee of the annual Wall of Fame and Alumni nights and was also in town when Jimmy Rollins passed him for the franchise's all-time hit record.

The Phillies legend has been spending time with the team in spring training as a guest instructor.

The Phillies recently added Ben Davis to the broadcast team to take the place of Jamie Moyer, who left after one season. Matt Stairs, Tom McCarthy and Gregg Murphy are also remaining a part of the television broadcast team.

Kevin Durso is a contributor for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.

February 19, 2015

CSN's John Clark broke the news this evening through Twitter, announcing that Daulton, 53, has been cleared of brain cancer after an MRI test. Daulton, who played for the Phillies majority of his career (1985-1997), was diagnosed with two glioma tumors in July of 2013. After surgery the cancer was still residing, but that cancer is now gone.

This is such great news for everybody and it's a great story of strength and devotion to defeating a terrible disease. We can only hope and pray that the cancer stays away and Dutch can go on living a long healthy life.

February 18, 2015

Pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater today for the first activity of the 2015 season - spring training.

Many estimate that the Phillies will have a record-low amount of wins this year and might go as the worst team in baseball. A sad, yet somewhat true assumption. The fans know it, and even the players know it - there will not be playoff baseball in Philadelphia this season.

Among the many players speaking to the media today, Cole Hamels made it clear that he wants to win and that if he is a in a Phillies uniform, it won't happen any time soon.

"I just want to win,'' Hamels told USA TODAY Sports in his first interview since the end of the 2014 season. "That's all. That's all any competitor wants.

"And I know it's not going to happen here.

"This isn't what I expected. It's not what the Phillies expected, either.

"But it's reality.''

Hamels doesn't seem to be trash talking his team or his teammates, but rather the truth.

In 2012, Hamels signed a contract extension worth $144 million over six years. At the time he said that he wanted to spend the rest of his career as a Phillie, but fast forward two and a half seasons and the mindset has changed.

With the departure of SS Jimmy Rollins back in December and the evident re-building phase the team is about to engage, Cole Hamels knows that his days in Philly are numbered.

"I wanted to see where I was going to spend my next four years. Now that I'm here, I plan on being here for the next six weeks. I think it would be pretty chaotic if that's not the case. But it's out of my control.

"All I can do is get ready this spring, be ready for opening day, and be prepared for the long season.''

Hamels is also anticipating on pitching in October this season.

"The reason the Phillies committed a huge contract to me,'' says Hamels, "wasn't just to pitch in the regular season, but the postseason too. That's why they paid me that kind of money. They planned on being in the playoffs every year, or at least contending.

"I want that too. I want to be in the playoffs every year. That's where you make a name for yourself. It's not about the Cy Young awards and MVP awards. It's about winning championships. You want to be in a place where you have a chance to win.

"And when we were winning, with the fans and the passion they have for sports, it was the best place to be.''

The sad part is that he is completely right. It would be a crime if the Phillies didn't give Hamels, who is entering the prime of his career, a shot at winning another title or numerous ones at best. The Phillies haven't been to the postseason since 2011 and by the looks of it they may not be there for the next five-ten years. By then Hamels' contract will have expired and he'd be headed out the door anyway.

With numerous rumors that Hamels was being shopped to teams such as the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Padres, Hamels stated that he's "all ears" when it comes to going to a winning team and that the Phillies need to move on from him and let his career path go the way it wants.

"In the grand scheme of things,'' Hamels says, "we have a very small window in our lives. You understand this is going to end. The Phillies will go on forever, but we know our careers are going to end.

"And I want to go to a place where I can win again."

Hamels has four years and $96 million left on his contract as well as a fifth-year option that would make it worth $110 million. In his contract he has 20 teams on his no-trade list. The only American League teams that can trade for him without his consent are the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

The fact is that the Phillies are going to ship Hamels somewhere this season and another fact of the matter is that they're going to ask top dollar for him. It's up to the front office and even Hamels' input on where he will finish out the 2015 season.

"There's no better feeling than winning, and we enjoyed that for a long time in Philadelphia,'' Hamels says. "I just want to win again. I'm no different than other guys. You just want to be in a position to win.